Gwyneth Paltrow's Steps Toward Mindful Eating?

Thank you, Gwyneth, for making it fashionable to stop dieting and start eating mindfully! According to an article in the London Telegraph, she announced about dieting, "Can't do it -- maybe later in the year, maybe in the spring. For now, I would like to continue with my pasta and cheese, but perhaps be more mindful of ingredients."

Mindful eating is not a diet. There are no menus or recipes. It is about being more aware of how much and what you are eating. It is also breaking out of mindless habits. It's a way of eating that you can incorporate into your life for the long run.

It's great that celebrities are taking a step forward and communicating that it is "okay" to get off the dieting treadmill.

I noticed this interesting article entitled "Gwyneth Paltrow Says She Won't Diet This Year, We're Calling Her Bluff," which questions whether it is even possible for her to do so. I can understand the skepticism. It's tough to undo all the damage that is done when you've been on and off many extreme diets. You may know exactly what she means. Once you've been on a low-carb diet, it's difficult to think about bread and pasta in the same way even if you love it. Fad diets skew your relationship with food and often leads to emotional eating. The good news is that mindful eating can help undo all of that.

I am going to give Gwyneth my vote of confidence. She can do it! In fact, she can still join us on the Mindful Eating Marathon -- 26.2 days to more mindful eating, and so can you!

Dr. Albers is a psychologist for the Cleveland Clinic and author of five books on mindful eating including 50 Ways to Soothe Yourself Without Food and Eating Mindfully 2nd edition (order now!). Her books have been noted in O, the Oprah magazine, Shape, Prevention, Health etc. and seen on The Dr. Oz Show on TV. www.eatingmindfully.com.